Rectifying charge storage element

Abstract

A power supply device consists of a rectifier and capacitor which share common elements facilitating the construction and application of the device to various types of substrates and, particularly, flexible substrates. Components of the device are fabricated from organic conductors.

We claim:  
     
       1. A rectifying charge storage element comprising: 
       a rectifier structure fabricated with a common conductor forming a side of the rectifier structure; and  
       a capacitor structure fabricated as a single unitary structure with the rectifier structure such that the capacitor structure incorporates the common conductor of the rectifier structure as a side of the capacitor structure, the capacitor structure to receive rectified current from the rectifier structure over the common conductor.  
     
     
       2. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 1  in which the rectifier structure incorporates diode elements and the common conductor is one of the elements. 
     
     
       3. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 1  in which the common conductor is the primary conductor for the capacitor structure. 
     
     
       4. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 1  in which the rectifier structure is a diode-type rectifier and the common conductor is the output of the rectifier structure and the input of the capacitor structure. 
     
     
       5. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 1  in which the rectifier structure incorporates an organic semiconductor and the common conductor is connected to the semiconductor. 
     
     
       6. A power supply comprising the rectifying charge storage element of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       7. A rectifying charge storage element comprising: 
       a rectifier structure having an anode and a semiconductor connected to the anode;  
       a common conductor connected to the semiconductor, the common conductor forming a side of the rectifier structure; and  
       a capacitor structure fabricated as a single unitary structure with the rectifier structure such that the capacitor structure incorporates the common conductor of the rectifier structure as one side of the capacitor structure, the capacitor structure having a dielectric material abutting the common conductor and a second conductor abutting the other side of the dielectric material.  
     
     
       8. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 7  which incorporates a flexible substrate fabricated as a unitary structure with the rectifier structure and the capacitor structure, the flexible substrate supporting the rectifier structure and the capacitor structure. 
     
     
       9. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 7  in which the semiconductor is formed of an organic material and the organic semiconductor communicates with the common conductor. 
     
     
       10. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 7  in which the dielectric material is an organic dielectric. 
     
     
       11. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 7  further comprising a flexible substrate, the rectifying charge storage element being imprinted on the flexible substrate. 
     
     
       12. A power supply comprising the rectifying charge storage element of  claim 7 . 
     
     
       13. A rectifying charge storage element comprising: 
       a rectifier structure having an input anode;  
       a semiconductor component connected to the anode;  
       a common conductor disposed in electrical communication below the semiconductor and forming one side of the rectifier structure;  
       a dielectric component disposed below the common conductor; and  
       a second conductor in electrical communication with the dielectric component and having the dielectric component superimposed thereupon to provide a capacitor structure, where the rectifier structure and the capacitor structure are fabricated as a unitary structure sharing the common conductor;  
       the anode and the common conductor being electrically connected to a source of rectifiable current and the common conductor providing the output of the rectifying charge storage element.  
     
     
       14. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 13  in which the semiconductor component is fabricated from an organic semiconductor. 
     
     
       15. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 13  in which the dielectric component is fabricated from organic material. 
     
     
       16. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 13  in which the semiconductor and the dielectric component are fabricated from organic materials. 
     
     
       17. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 13  further comprising a flexible substrate supporting the components of the rectifying charge storage element. 
     
     
       18. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 17  in which the components of the rectifying charge storage element are imprinted on the flexible substrate. 
     
     
       19. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 13  in which the rectifier and the capacitor are supported by a flexible substrate. 
     
     
       20. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 19  in which the flexible substrate is the dielectric component. 
     
     
       21. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 17  which the components of the rectifying charge storage element are formed on the flexible substrate. 
     
     
       22. A power supply comprising the rectifying charge storage element of  claim 13 . 
     
     
       23. A rectifying charge storage element including: 
       a first conductor;  
       a common conductor spaced from the first conductor, the common conductor having a first set of interdigitate fingers or layers;  
       a second conductor having a second set of interdigitate layers or fingers internested with the first set; and  
       an organic material between the first and common conductors, between the fingers of the common conductor, and between the fingers of the second conductor, where the rectifying charge storage element is capable of rectifying current and of storing charge.  
     
     
       24. A power supply comprising the rectifying charge storage element of  claim 23 . 
     
     
       25. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 23  wherein the work function of the first conductor is lower than the work function of the common conductor. 
     
     
       26. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 23  wherein the work function of the first conductor is greater than the work function of the common conductor. 
     
     
       27. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 23  wherein the organic material includes a polymeric material. 
     
     
       28. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 23  wherein the organic material functions as a dielectric if the work functions of the first and common conductors are the same. 
     
     
       29. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 23  wherein the organic material functions as a semiconductor if the work functions of the first and common conductors are substantially different. 
     
     
       30. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 23  wherein the rectifying charge storage element is supported on a flexible substrate. 
     
     
       31. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 23  wherein the rectifying charge storage element is printed on a flexible substrate. 
     
     
       32. A rectifying charge storage element comprising: 
       a first conductor;  
       a common conductor spaced from the first conductor;  
       a second conductor spaced from the common conductor; and  
       a semiconductor located between the first and common conductors; and  
       a dielectric located between the common conductor and the second conductor, where the rectifying charge storage element is capable of rectifying current and of storing charge.  
     
     
       33. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 32  wherein the semiconductor includes a polymeric material. 
     
     
       34. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 32  wherein the semiconductor includes an organic material. 
     
     
       35. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 32  wherein the rectifying charge storage element is flexible. 
     
     
       36. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 32  wherein the dielectric is a flexible substrate. 
     
     
       37. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 32  wherein the work function of the first conductor is lower than the work function of the common conductor. 
     
     
       38. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 32  wherein the work function of the first conductor is greater than the work function of the common conductor. 
     
     
       39. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 37  wherein the work function of the common conductor is substantially equal to the work function of the second conductor. 
     
     
       40. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 38  wherein the work function of the common conductor is substantially equal to the work function of the second conductor. 
     
     
       41. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 35  wherein the rectifying charge storage element is printed on the flexible substrate. 
     
     
       42. A power supply comprising the rectifying charge storage element of  claim 32 . 
     
     
       43. A rectifying charge storage element comprising: 
       a first conductor;  
       a common conductor positioned to be substantially coplanar with the first conductor, the common conductor being spaced from the first conductor to form a gap between the first conductor and the common conductor;  
       a semiconductor located in the gap;  
       a second conductor being spaced from the common conductor; and  
       a dielectric between the common conductor and the second conductor, where the rectifying charge storage element is capable of rectifying current and of storing charge.  
     
     
       44. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 43  wherein the semiconductor includes a polymeric material. 
     
     
       45. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 43  wherein the semiconductor includes an organic material. 
     
     
       46. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 43  wherein the rectifying charge storage element is supported on a flexible substrate. 
     
     
       47. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 43  wherein the dielectric is a flexible substrate. 
     
     
       48. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 43  wherein the work function of the first conductor is lower than the work function of the common conductor. 
     
     
       49. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 43  wherein the work function of the first conductor is greater than the work function of the common conductor. 
     
     
       50. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 48  wherein the work function of the common conductor is substantially equal to the work function of the second conductor. 
     
     
       51. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 49  wherein the work function of the common conductor is substantially equal to the work function of the second conductor. 
     
     
       52. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 46  wherein the rectifying charge storage element is printed on the flexible substrate. 
     
     
       53. A power supply comprising the rectifying charge storage element of  claim 43 . 
     
     
       54. A rectifying charge storage element comprising: 
       a first conductor;  
       a common conductor positioned to be substantially coplanar with the first conductor, the common conductor being spaced from the first conductor to form a gap between the first conductor and the common conductor;  
       a second conductor being spaced from the common conductor;  
       a common organic material between the first conductor and the common conductor, where the rectifying charge storage element is capable of rectifying current and of storing charge.  
     
     
       55. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 54  wherein the second conductor and the common conductor reside on a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the plane containing the common conductor and the first conductor. 
     
     
       56. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 54  wherein the common organic material functions as a dielectric if the work functions of the first conductor and the common conductor are the same. 
     
     
       57. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 54  wherein the organic material includes a polymeric material. 
     
     
       58. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 54  wherein the organic material functions as a semiconductor if the work functions of the first conductor and the common conductor are substantially different. 
     
     
       59. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 54  wherein the rectifying charge storage element is flexible. 
     
     
       60. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 54  wherein the work function of the first conductor is lower than the work function of the common conductor. 
     
     
       61. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 54  wherein the work function of the first conductor is greater than the work function of the common conductor. 
     
     
       62. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 60  wherein the work function of the common conductor is substantially equal to the work function of the second conductor. 
     
     
       63. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 61  wherein the work function of the common conductor is substantially equal to the work function of the second conductor. 
     
     
       64. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 60  wherein the work function of the common conductor is greater than the work function of the second conductor. 
     
     
       65. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 61  wherein the work function of the common conductor is lower than the work function of the second conductor. 
     
     
       66. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 61  wherein the work function of the common conductor is greater than the work function of the second conductor. 
     
     
       67. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 54  wherein the rectifying charge storage element is printed on a flexible substrate. 
     
     
       68. A power supply comprising the rectifying charge storage element of  claim 54 . 
     
     
       69. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 66  wherein the work function of the common conductor is substantially equal to the work function of the ground conductor. 
     
     
       70. The rectifying charge storage element of  claim 67  wherein the work function of the common conductor is substantially equal to the work function of the ground conductor.